THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: SHIFTING FROM CONVENTIONAL CLASSROOM LEARNING TO ONLINE LEARNING IN SOUTH AFRICA’S HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

The advent of the COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale has had a significant impact on all aspects of human activities. The integration of digital technologies has led to a substantial transformation of the worldwide education system. The primary objective of this investigation was to examine the transition from traditional face-to-face instruction to virtual instruction in South African institutions of higher learning amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The research utilised content analysis to conduct a scoping review of existing literature pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. The research investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on tertiary education establishments in the Republic of South Africa. The study reviewed journal articles and book chapters focused on the shift from conventional classroom learning to online learning in South Africa’s Higher Education to answer two research questions raised in the study. To ensure an in-depth search, the researcher searched 67 journals articles and identified 58 reports/studies satisfying the inclusion criteria. The findings of the analysis of these studies highlighted that the educational establishments were not adequately equipped for the abrupt shift from traditional face-to-face instruction to remote digital learning. Despite the expeditious efforts made by numerous institutions of higher education to incorporate online learning into their curricula, several obstacles were encountered during this technological shift towards the perpetuation of educational instruction. Consequently, it is recommended that institutions provide sufficient learning technologies, consistent internet data subscriptions for students, and technical support for lecturers to improve the effectiveness of online learning. On the other hand, the research has demonstrated that educational establishments have undergone a significant transformation from traditional in-person instructional settings to virtual learning environments.